Nubian Message, Oct. 25, 2018 — Activism through art

NUBIANMESSAGE NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY | RALEIGH, NC | THENUBIANMESSAGE.COM | THURSDAY, October 25, 2018

THURSDAY, october 25, 2018 | 2

Letter from the editor

THISISSUE 3 PERIODS & INCLUSIVITY Cass Bliss presents for DEW.

4 ADVOCATING WITH ART Hey y’all!

Early voting is underway and I wanna encourage every NC State student who is a U.S. citizen to vote in this midterm election. It’s easy to forget the importance of elections during non-presidential years, but there are many key offices on this year’s ballot. Also, there are 6 proposed amendments to our state constitution that would significantly change who is allowed to vote and how the Board of Elections functions.

This issue’s proverb is actually a quote from Audre Lorde. “If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

From code switching to “bathroom bills” to the Trump administration’s latest attempt to redefine gender, we witness the latter half of this quote every day.

Nubian Message is for those of us continuously refusing to be “crunched.” Please know that you are always welcome to submit a Letter to the Editor or guest opinion column to nubian-editor@ncsu.edu.

Opening reception of the “Artivism” Gallery.

6 EMBRACING MY NARRATIVE The importance of queer black representation.

7 PLAY REVIEW “In The Blood.”

7 HURTING THE MINORITY VOTE The racist side of voter ID requirements.

I am because we are, Keilah

The Sentinel of the African -American Community at N.C. State Since 1992.

Keilah Davis

Editor-in-Chief

Kennysha Woods

Managing editor

Only with the permission of our elders do we proudly produce each edition of the Nubian Message: Dr. Yosef ben-Yochannan, Dr. John Henrik Clark, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, The Black Panther Party, Mumia A. Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Tony Williamson, Dr. Lawrence Clark, Dr. Augustus McIver Witherspoon, Dr. Wandra P. Hill, Mr. Kyran Anderson, Dr. Lathan Turner, Dr. M. Iyailu Moses, Dokta Toni Thorpe and all those who accompany us as we are still on the journey to true consciousness.

news

periods, not just for women

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The plug: early voting All registered Wake County voters can vote at the early voting site in Talley Student Union until November 3.

photo by keilah Davis

Cass Bliss presents “Periods Aren’t Just for Women: Redefining Who Menstruates” during Diversity Education Week 2018 on Monday, Oct. 15 in Talley Student Union. The event was co-hosted by the GLBT Center and Period at NC State.

kennysha woods Managing Editor

“Periods Aren’t Just for Women: Redefining Who Menstruates” was a presentation centered on dispelling the idea that menstruation is an experience limited to women and highlighting trans-inclusive period activism. This presentation was a part of NC State’s Diversity Education Week and was given on October 15 in Talley Student Union.

“A lot of my journey has been figuring out who I am,” said the presenter, Cass Bliss, “and that path crossed into what I do professionally. Most of these talks are an exploration of my own self, of me figuring out who I am and how I can talk to other people about what that means in a way that not only inspires you to search within yourself and think, ‘Who am I,’ but who are the people around me and how can I respect their identities?”

Bliss, also known as “The Period Prince,” is an illustrator, author and trans activist, and they’re known for promoting trans-inclusive period activism and founding the movement, #BleedingWhileTrans.

Bliss talked about issues they experience while on their period. One of these issues includes picking the bathroom that both affirms their identity and ensures their safety as a gender non-conforming person.

“The amount of times you go to the bathroom in a day—I didn’t notice it until I cut my hair and started presenting more masculine,” Bliss said. “I didn’t realize how much I had to pee in a day until I had to ask myself questions: Am I going to have a panic attack? Am I going to be attacked?”

Another issue stems from the gender coding of menstrual hygiene products. They’re often marketed with pink,

feminine designs and packaging; in commercials, young, cisgender, white women are shown as the primary market.

“We use colors to designate whether or not someone is going to be read as a woman or man,” Bliss said. “There’s no real reason why… we code everything, and we package everything to fit a single story.”

Another issue is that many trans people are low-income and cannot afford or access menstrual health products.

Although there are services that give out these products to low-income people, they expect women to utilize them, and gender non-conforming people are deterred from using that service in fear of outing themselves.

“Are you going to turn that person away?” Bliss said.

“Maybe. Are you going to assume they’re getting it for someone else? Are you going to read them wrong?

“Are they going to have to out themselves to you? What kind of requirement is that? [One] that outs people and in really dangerous ways.”

There are fallacies surrounding trans-inclusive periods.

Bliss talked about people suggesting testosterone as a solution to get rid of periods, but they often ignore how not everyone has access to or wants to take testosterone, and that testosterone can actually make periods worse for some people.

To make society into a space that’s more inclusive of trans and nonbinary identities, Bliss emphasized the importance of staying mindful of the lines we create and listening to everyone’s experiences.

“There are a lot of stories out there, a lot of stories from people like me,” Bliss concluded. “You just have to Google them.”

Not registered? Talley is a “one-stop” voting site during the early voting period. Voters can register and cast a ballot on the same day if they bring proof of their address, such as a bill or on-campus housing assignment on MyPack Portal.

The Talley early voting site is open during the following hours: Sunday: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tuesday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Thursday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Friday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Election Day is November 6.

For more information, visit www.ncsbe.gov

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features

artivism: resistance and healing through art The GLBT Center and the African Amerkennysha woods ican Cultural Center (AACC) Managing Editor partnered to host the opening reception of “Artivism: Advocacy and Activism through Art,” an exhibit showing from October 15th to November 4th in the AACC Gallery of Witherspoon Student Center. The idea for the exhibit is credited to Preston Keith, associate director of the GLBT Center.

“As I was planning GLBT Histo-

Anna Carlson Correspondent

ry Month,” Keith said, “I knew that I wanted the focus of the month to look at the different ways people come into activism, being strategic in that and also understanding that activism is much more than just organizing riots and protests. [There are] different modes of activism.”

Keith continued, “Art was something that I wanted to incorporate into that and knowing that a lot of people have utilized art as a form of resistance and a form of advocacy, really highlighting that.”

John Miller IV, program coordinator

of the AACC, said, “We were happy to partner with the GLBT Center, especially with such an important topic, especially at this point in life, society and culture, to really explore activism and what it looks like.”

“Artivism” features works from two local artists: Jade Wilson, photographer and videographer, and Rachel “Gemynii” Storer, a self-taught painter and DJ. They were both present for the opening reception.

“I did... some searches of artists across the Raleigh-Durham area and came across Jade and Gemynii and fell in

love with their work and felt it needed to be in this space,” Keith said. “Once I saw Gemynii and Jade’s work and really looked at why they did the work that they did, it was clear, and they were so gracious in sharing.”

“They didn’t go and just document,” said Miller. “You really feel immersed in their lives, and how their existence is resistance and how they can capture that resistance and produce in a way so someone who doesn’t have the context can look at the work and say, ‘I can see something in here. I can see myself.

I can somebody else. I can see what I artivism continued on page 5

features

artivism continued from page 4 aspire to be. I can do something.’”

Gemynii contributed an assortment of portraits to “Artivism” that either captured a range of famous black figures in American media or referenced significant social and political movements like police brutality and #MeToo. “I thought this was a great opportunity,” Gemynii said, “especially with [the gallery] being in the AACC and connected to the LGBTQI [community]. That’s just me, black and queer, so I felt like I needed to be here.”

Gemynii continued, “For me, art is my platform. It’s my voice. When I’m not around to say the things I want to say about bodies, about blackness, about queerness, about social justice in this country, my work can speak for me.”

Wilson’s works included a collection of photos from recent events and protests around Raleigh and Durham and a video of recurring documentary footage from Colorfest Inc.’s Hurricane Relief and Princess Nokia’s performance of “Brujas.”

“I’m touching on several different things,” Wilson said. “[The photo collage] particularly represents the ideas that I’m working to fight towards.”

“It’s trying to evoke emotion in people who don’t experience this every day,” Wilson said. “It’s representing being black, being a black, queer woman, being a black, queer woman who’s not presented in a traditional way.”

In addition to activism, Gemynii and Wilson expressed that their art also served as mediums for healing.

“Just the creation process alone is very therapeutic,” said Gemynii. “But also, seeing the responses of folks, especially those that identify as femme or queer, who see these pieces. I see how they’re moved, and how they connect. It makes me feel like I’m on the right path with what I’m doing in life, and that in itself — people seeing their own beauty and finding healing in the pieces — also aids to my own healing process.”

“Having my camera is very healing,” Wilson said. “It gets me closer to people.”

Wilson added, “We need to show up for people and help one another out because life is bigger than ourselves. So holding on to that and reminding myself that I need to be grounded and comfortable in who I am in order to truthfully, honestly and unapologetically share stories of oppressed individuals.”

“I hope students get a renewed sense of activism and advocacy, but also representation,” Keith said. “We talk about black art. We talk about queer art. I want people to see themselves in that. Sometimes, they don’t get to see themselves.

So center yourself. Center your voices.

Center your identities, but also center the ways in which you’re resisting by just existing, how that challenges systems and how you have that power to transform systems and change culture.

“I also want students to get that activism looks a lot more than just organizing and protesting,” Keith said. “There are so many ways in which we get to embody that activism.”

There was a steady rotation of attendees throughout the gallery, including students, faculty and staff.

“I like when art is used to make a message, and it’s not just there as art.

It’s there to mean something,” said John Loomis, a first-year studying meteorology. “When I saw there was this event about the arts and recognizing things you may not even think correlate to the arts, I thought it was a really cool opportunity.”

“Advocacy and activism are two things that are very important to me,” said Mikey Williams, a fourth-year majoring in design studies. Williams expressed that it’s important for NC State to host more events like “Artivism,” especially when “NC State says things like, ‘We have diversity. We are a diverse school.’

“They don’t show it in the representation of the students because it is 70 percent white. For the students who aren’t white, what are you doing for them, and how are they incorporated? What are you doing for them?”

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Swathi Karthik/Staff Photographer ”In My Feelings” by local artist Gemynii was one of the featured pieces of art at the Artivism Opening Reception on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The “Artivism: Advocacy and Activism through Art” Exhibit features work by local artists Gemynii and Jade Wilson and is open from Oct. 15-27 in the African American Cultural Center Gallery.

Swathi Karthik/Staff Photographer Artist Jade Wilson explains her motivations at the Artivism Opening Reception on Wednesday, Oct. 17. The “Artivism: Advocacy and Activism through Art” Exhibit features work by local artists Gemynii and Jade Wilson and is open from Oct. 15-27 in the African American Cultural Center Gallery.

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opinion

Finding my voice: On speaking with michael arcenaux Seeing a career for myself as a queer black journalist 15 years ago would’ve been as difficult as catching up on all six seasons of Game of Thrones in a week. Everyone would tell me that this wasn’t only impossible, but Brandon impractical.

Loyd But like binge-watching Correspondent Game of Thrones, making a dream come true is full of tears. Luckily I live in an age where I can see the person I want to be, doing what I want to do successfully.

Interviewing and speaking with New York Times bestselling author Michael Arceneaux when he came to speak at NC State was like seeing a light at the end the gay tunnel. He is a gay black Texan, well-understood by his adamant Beyoncé stanning and his favorite food (fried alligator).

His book “I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé” has been uber successful. This is not in spite of its honesty on Michael’s life and perspective, but because of it. I often fear that no matter how strong my work ethic is, my honesty will make me a starving artist buying ramen in bulk as I write jokes for a comedian I hate in an apartment that I’m three dollars away from being evicted from.

Seeing Michael in person, in all of his unapologetic gay black glory, banished a bit of my restraint in my own writing and worries about success. I asked him about how

he himself writes content that may be seen as vulgar for publication without feeling a sense of hesitation.

He answered, “I don’t think I’m necessarily crass, so I write about sex honestly and what I’m comfortable with. So I can’t really concern myself with what other people think. If people don’t wanna read it they don’t have to. I like to think you know what you get when you read me, so they’ll be alright.”

connection to somebody and then plus the Houston thing, we together forever, which is why I’m still mad at Jay-Z sometimes. But we need to forgive because she’s forgiven him, but I’m on the record so I know to say that.”

The table erupted in laughter at the forgiveness bit. I conducted this interview at a Mexican restaurant at a table with other people who are well-versed in Beyoncé lore, so we all get it. Most of us are queer and/or

“But I can see myself in Michael. Sometimes I don’t even think I’ll graduate, but he did? He graduated a year late and got to hear Oprah speak at his graduation, so maybe I’ll do the same? Maybe not the Oprah part, but regardless I’ll find myself in the places I desire to be, because he has done it.”

I might’ve found hesitation in just saying that out loud, knowing I was being recorded, but Michael isn’t afraid of his image.

Probably because he isn’t battling with it.

He’s embracing it.

When I asked him if Beyoncé helped him accept things about his identity, he responded, “It got me to loosen up, so that was the soundtrack of me being more open and honest and less ‘whatever’ when I went to New York to intern. So when you make that

black too.

A friend at the table asked him if he finds it difficult being gay in black spaces and black in gay spaces.

“For the most part, I’ve always been like myself,” Michael said. “I think a lot of times me being uncomfortable was a bigger burden than them. Like when I came out at Howard, the other gay dudes were not out so they weren’t really welcoming. That was really weird, but as far as black people, usu-

ally that’s who I’m around, that’s who loves me the most, so yeah I’m usually comfortable, ‘cus it can pop off anywhere. That’s the Houston part in me.”

He then released a hearty laugh that made him all the more human, all the more present, and all the more, me?

I don’t want to say I am him or he is me, like every queer black existence is monolithic. And I don’t want to make myself seem as great as him. I have lots to prove.

But I can see myself in Michael. Sometimes I don’t even think I’ll graduate, but he did. He graduated a year late and got to hear Oprah speak at his graduation, so maybe I’ll do the same? Maybe not the Oprah part, but regardless I’ll find myself in the places I desire to be, because he has done it.

He recalled Oprah’s presence making him feel as if his credit score rose, but that’s how I feel about him. I may be driving a 2002 Honda Civic with engine issues, but seeing him driving past me, all smiles in a Tesla fresh off of Elon Musk’s press makes me feel like I can too.

I asked him how he would compare being gay and black in college now to how it was during his time in college. He responded, “It seems like it’s better, but I think you would be a lot better tellin’ me.”

So I’ll say this, it’s scary. I’m a bit afraid, but I’m granted a lot more protection than queer students of color were ten years ago.

And because of writers like you, Michael Arceneaux, I’m assured that my queer black identity isn’t a death sentence.

opinion

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what we can learn Jim Crow, is that you? from “In the Blood” Voter ID amendment is inherently racist

jalen Rose

Correspondent

The innovative play

by Suzan-Lori Parks, “In The Blood,” was recently performed by participants of NC State’s University Theater. The play itself was written in 1999 as a modern adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” and encompasses the implications of poverty, accurately capturing the experiences

little. She has been subjected to the harshest realities of poverty with little hope of escaping the oppressive system.

But despite her situation, she still holds an optimistic view for her future. Well, at least in the beginning. In the first scene, she proclaims, “the world’ll take care of the women and children.” By the end of the first act, she states, “I don’t think the world likes women much.” Her optimistic outlook is eventually overshadowed by reality.

Aside from poverty, the play also touches on the stigma of hyper-sexuality in

“...the play also touches on the stigma of hypersexuality in black women. Society has often sexualized the black woman with little regard of the implications this may cause. of the oppressed. The social stigmas that attach themselves to people in poverty and adulterers have existed for many years.

The story is centered around the main character, Hester (played by Riki Dows), and her five children (played by Ryan Vasconcellos, Isaiah Lewis, Dani Coan, Elnora Nesbitt and Fara Marin). The family lives under a bridge where the majority of the play takes place.

The opening scene displays the word “slut” spray-painted on the outside wall of the bridge. Hester is unable to read the word due to her illiteracy. Hester’s oldest son, Jabber, is the only one in the family who can read and write. He immediately knows what the word says but refuses to tell his mother.

The concept of illiteracy is prevalent throughout the entirety of the play. The only thing Hester is capable of writing is the letter “A.” This is a reference to the original plot of “The Scarlet Letter” where the main character, Hester, has sewn an “A” onto all of her clothing.

From the beginning of the play, it’s apparent that Hester’s children are very important to her. At one point she tells her friend that she has nothing, but if she loses them, she’ll have less than nothing. Hester owns very

black women. Society has often sexualized the black woman with little regard of the implications this may cause. The play does a good job of comparing the sexual experiences Hester goes through with the same ones other adults partake in.

Throughout the play, each adult character gives a monologue explaining their sexual encounter with Hester. The unique thing about each monologue is that they all justify their actions in different ways while simultaneously condemning Hester.

Each justification hints at various “societal principles” that can be observed in the modern day. They included: unable to resist temptations, being young, being married, being white, and being religious. Each one of these reasonings didn’t apply to Hester and since she had no excuse, she was deemed promiscuous.

The play presented a very necessary message for the audience. The NC State students provided an authentic and captivating performance. The audience was able to leave the theater informed and entertained. The production of “In The Blood” was an overall success.

This year’s midterm elections have brought forth multiple proposed amendments for our state’s constitution; however, the proposal for a voter ID requirement could potentially be the most harmful for people of color. yesenia The exact language on Jones sample ballots reads as Staff Writer follows: “Constitutional amendment to require voters to provide photo identification before voting in person” In the eyes of legislators, the amendment is an attempt to prevent voter fraud, which was a large concern during the 2016 presidential election. While it’s true that voter fraud has become an issue in recent years, this amendment would not address the issue.

According to a New York Times article, nearly 4.8 million people voted in North Carolina’s 2016 general election and only 19 people voted illegally through false identities. The article also states that many of them were not aware that their legal or criminal status denied them of their right to vote.

Access to education on voting laws would be a solution to this issue that wouldn’t infringe upon the rights of people of color and lower economic status.

A Project Vote Research Memo that was produced in 2015 stated that 13 percent of black, 10 percent of Hispanic and only five percent of white people did not have government-issued identification. This information was derived from the 2012 American National Elections Study.

Also, the non-profit organization Color of Change revealed that 34 percent of black women in North Carolina do not have government-issued IDs. The unequal distribution of government issued photo identification is a direct result of systematic oppression.

People of color who are lower income are less likely to have a vehicle and therefore, will not have a driver’s license. Drivers licenses’ are the most common form of identification among Americans.

Also, passports are usually only held by citizens who have traveled outside of the

United States, which is very uncommon amongst people of a lower socioeconomic status.

Therefore, the implementation of this amendment could greatly change the outcome of future elections, especially considering that minority communities predominantly vote Democrat. The loss of the minority vote would result in more Republican politicians that are not representative of low-income and minority communities.

This would result in even more discriminatory legislation that would deeply affect our communities.

We’ve seen similar legislation in North Carolina, like the Voter ID law passed in 2013. This law was passed by Republican former Governor Pat McCrory.

In 2016, a panel of judges in federal appeals court struck down the law and stated that Republican lawmakers had targeted “African Americans with almost surgical precision” and “the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow.” This information was restated by an article in the Washington Post titled “Inside the Republican creation of the North Carolina voting bill dubbed the ‘monster’ law.”

The resurrection of this legislation proves the entanglement of racism within North Carolina’s political system. With Democratic governor Roy Cooper, it would seem as though this sort of legislation would have less room in our political system. But this is not the case.

With Donald Trump in the White House and the proposal of discriminatory amendments, it’s now more important than ever that we vote. It’s especially important that college-aged citizens of minority communities vote to protect their rights and the rights of others in their community who have been disenfranchised by systematic racism.

If you’re not registered go out and register to vote. Make sure that you vote before or on Nov. 6 and make sure you vote against the voter ID amendment.